Stevia plant rich in nutritional component

Abstract

The present invention provides a stevia plant having a genotype C/C at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1. The present invention also provides a method of producing the stevia plant, and an extract obtained from the plant.

1 . A  stevia  plant having the genotype C/C at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
         2 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant contains at least one nutrient component selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, amino acid, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M in a larger amount than a control  stevia  plant having a genotype C/T at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or has an FRO2 expression level lower than in the control  stevia  plant. 
     
     
         3 . The plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant is a non-genetically modified plant. 
     
     
         4 . A seed, a tissue, a tissue culture or a cell of the plant according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . The tissue, tissue culture or cell according to  claim 4 , which is selected from an embryo, a meristem cell, a pollen, a leaf, a root, a root apex, a petal, a protoplast, a leaf section and a callus. 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising crossing the plant according to  claim 1  with a second  stevia  plant, thereby producing a  stevia  plant containing at least one component selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, amino acid, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M in a larger amount than in a control  stevia  plant having a genotype C/T at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or having an FRO2 expression level lower than in the control  stevia  plant. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the second plant is a  stevia  plant having the genotype C/C at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
         8 . An extract of the plant according to  claim 1 , or of the seed, tissue, tissue culture or cell of the plant, wherein the extract comprises at least one nutrient component selected from iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, amino acid, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising obtaining an extract comprising at least one nutrient component selected from iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, amino acid, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M from the plant according to  claim 1 , or from the seed, tissue, tissue culture or cell of the plant. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising
 adding the extract to a raw material for a food or beverage, sweetener composition, flavor or medicament, thereby producing a food or beverage, a sweetener composition, a flavor or a medicament.   
     
     
         11 . A herbal tea product comprising a dry matter of the plant according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising a step of comprising detecting, in a test  stevia  plant, whether or not a genotype at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1 is C/C, and determining that the test  stevia  plant is the plant according to  claim 1  when the genotype at the position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1 is C/C. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein detecting a genetic feature is performed by use of sequencing, dCAPS method or TaqMan PCR method. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising evaluating the content of at least one nutrient component selected from iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, amino acid, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M in a test  stevia  plant tissue. 
     
     
         15 . A screening kit for the  stevia  plant according to  claim 1 , comprising a reagent for detecting whether or not a genotype at a position corresponding to position 37 of SEQ ID NO: 1 is C/C. 
     
     
         16 . The kit according to  claim 15 , wherein the reagent comprises a primer and/or a probe for use in dCAPS method or TaqMan PCR method. 
     
     
         17 . A method of screening for a plant having a high content of at least one nutrient component selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, amino acid, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M, the method comprising measuring an FRO2 expression level.